It’s a World Cup draw! World Cup draws are exciting! I’m glad!
OK, I would be more excited if there was less than 999 days left before the 2023 World Cup began, a gap between draw and action that is almost 33 months. The next women’s world championship, which will be held more than two years before the next men’s world championship, only took place a few weeks ago. This is an example of a rational timeframe for the pre-tournament draw. I’m not sure how the men’s rugby union has gotten used to ridiculously premature World Cup draws, but this isn’t the first and won’t be the last.
Because of the corona virus and such, the draw for a world championship which starts in September 2023 a Smidgeon will be carried out over 44 earth months before the big kick-off, under the guidance of the world rankings from January 1, 2020, 1,347 days. If, after completing its task on the first day of this year, the ranking compiler decided to fill in the time between that point and the start of the World Cup, the qualification of which it will announce by repeatedly listening to Hayley Westhra’s version of World in Union, you could Do 292,933 times. The current top 10 in the world rankings are as follows (with position on January 1st in brackets):
- South Africa (1)
- England (3)
- New Zealand (2)
- France (7)
- Ireland (5)
- Australia (6)
- Scotland (9)
- Argentina (10)
- Wales (4)
- Japan (8)
That makes Wales happy because they’re in Volume 1 even though they’re currently in ninth place, and France miserable because they might have been in Volume 1 themselves. But by the time the World Cup actually starts, one of those teams could be a lot more or less good, or otherwise different from what it is now. Hence the final final amount of luck has yet to be divided.
So far, 12 teams have qualified, all of which made it into the top three of their pools at the last World Cup. Luke Thompson, the New Zealand-born striker from Japan, was thus actively involved in qualifying for a tournament starting at 42 years, four months and 24 days, and three years, 10 months and 17 days after his tournament retirement. It’s all very curious.
Draw the ribbons completely
part 1 South Africa, New Zealand, England, Wales
Volume 2 Ireland, France, Australia, Japan
Volume 3 Scotland, Argentina, Fiji and Italy
Bands 4 and 5 Let’s not avoid the bush, these are complicated bands. If I had to compare these qualifying bands to a musical band, which of course I don’t, but still will, they are like fall as they are not very approachable and it is difficult to know what the cast will be like. So let’s take one continent at a time:
North and South America – two guaranteed places
OK, after I decided to take this one continent, I started with two continents. That’s how unpredictable this thing is. The 2021 Rugby Americas North champion will play a two-game series against the 2021 Sudamerica rugby champion, while the runner-up will do the same in these two competitions. The overall winner of the series, in which the two champions are involved, qualifies for the World Cup in Volume 4, while the loser qualifies for another series of two games against the winner of the other series of two games with the winner of that game with two games qualifies series also qualification in volume 4. I think that’s clear.
Europe – two guaranteed places
The champion and runner-up of the rugby European championship 2021-22 will qualify for the world championship in volume 4. The third-placed team will compete in a knockout tournament with four teams in the final of the qualification in November 2022 that will go in Volume 5.
Asia and Oceania – two guaranteed places
Yes, two continents again. Tonga will play a two-game series against Samoa, with the winners qualifying for the World Cup in Volume 5. The runner-up will then play another two-game series against the winners of the 2021 Asian Rugby Championship, with the winners also qualifying in Volume 5. The losers of the second two-game series will advance to the round of 16 in November 2022. Qualification tournament with four teams going, the winners of which will also go in Volume 5. The very likely outcome of all of this is that Tonga and Samoa will both qualify and no one else. The two begin the process by playing off to decide which of them will qualify with the least amount of effort.
Africa – a guaranteed place
The winners of the Africa Gold Cup 2022 qualify for the World Cup as Africa 1. The runners-up will take part in the knockout tournament with four teams in November 2022, the winners of which will be included in volume 5.
Current drawing-based information
The 20 teams will be drawn into four pools. Volume 5 is drawn first and Volume 1 fifth, with no surprises about the order in between. Six “Ambassadors for France” played a “key role” in the draw, including Oscar winner Jean Dujardin and shoe magnate Christian Louboutin. As with the women’s draw, the former England national player Ugo Monye and the South African TV presenter Elma Smit, who reported on the last three World Championships for SuperSport, will present an online program about the draw via Zoom from their living room.
That’s about all I have to say to you. Apparently f involved. Beyond that, and about the 900 or so Piffle words that preceded them, I know little. Welcome! Let’s paint!
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